Unforgiving
by NoelAnderson
Summary: Taken in by a man who offers them a real home, Harry and his friends are finally whisked away from the families that hate them. Years later when it is discovered Harry's brother is not truly the BWL, their happy and safe lives may just be taken from them.
1. Left In Darkness

**A/N: I have a few things to clear up for this story. First of all, and all my original readers will already know this; this is a rewrite of Unforgivable Mistakes. I was very unhappy with the quality, characters, grammar, and plot of that story so I decided I needed to completely redo it. I hope this pleases you all.**

**The only reason I'm posting this chapter now, is because someone complained that I was stalling too much and that I needed to post the story already. I would appreciate it if you would all refrain from saying such things to me, because I do have a life and other stories to complete. That, and most of the people I have subscribed to on this site haven't updated since I added them. Months. Ago! So you have no reason to be complaining.**

**This chapter is unbeta'd since I have not found a beta yet, so please, ignore the grammar until I have a chance to find one. This is up solely for your enjoyment.**

**A few names have been changed and pasts tweaked, but those of you just starting this won't notice the difference.**

**I got Sirius's son and Remus's daughter's pasts from Lady. Whitlock, but I changed the names. I asked her if she minded, but she never responded, so… anyway, Sirius's son's name is that of a constellation, the main reason I'm using it and Remus's daughter's name happens to just be one I liked . I hope you like it, but I will not be updating again until I have the whole plot planned and a beta. So enjoy it while you can.**

Despair is the price one pays for settings one's self an impossible aim. It is, one is told, the unforgivable sin, but it is a sin the corrupt or evil man never practices. He always has hope. He never reaches the freezing point of knowing absolute failure.

-Graham Greene

/

Lily and James Potter wouldn't have been able to explain the joy they'd felt when it was discovered that Lily was pregnant. When they found out that they were having twins that just made it all the better and more exciting. And what made that even _better_ was that the experience was going to be shared with four of their best friends. Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Alice and Frank Longbottom were expecting also.

Remus and Sirius had both gotten married to very different women not too long after Lily and James had. Remus to none other than Severus Snape's little sister. The fact that Snape had a sibling that was even remotely pleasant to be around or the slightest bit attractive baffled Sirius to the point of absolute confusion. How in the world does that happen? How does one woman give birth to two completely different people? It was madness! No matter though, because eventually Remus and Celeste Snape fell in love. It was like a car crash, sudden and unexpected, but it happened nonetheless. Celeste had beautiful black hair that she always kept in a loose ponytail and impossibly light blue eyes that shone like super novas with innocence and pure happiness. She was just what Remus needed in his life.

Sirius had gotten married to a French witch named Jolie De LaMotte. She always seemed to be on a caffeine high and was way too talkative for her own good. In a way, everyone knew they wouldn't last long. They were just too _similar._ Jolie was adventurous and daring, she loved a rush. Together, they got into way too much trouble, but they didn't care, or really, they didn't stop to think about the consequences. They just fell hard for each other and that was that, as far as Sirius saw it they were soul mates.

And as it was, Jolie was the first to go into labor, the first to give birth to a beautiful child. They had all hurried to St. Mungos and crowded into the waiting room to support their friends, they meaning the Potter's, the Lupin's, and the Longbottom's. Jolie's curses being spoken in fluent French could be heard throughout the entire building. She had no shame in what she said. When Sirius can bounding it with a little bundle in his hands, a smile so wide his face seemed to be split in two, Lily had squealed so loud that she'd woken James, who'd been sleeping in the chair next to her, with such a fright he fell to a heap on the floor. No one even noticed though, because they were too busy cooing and blubbering to the blue-eyed beauty being snuggled to Sirius's chest. That day, Leo Black was born.

Just a few months after Sirius and Jolie, Remus and Celeste were going through the same thing. Once again they all gathered at the hospital to await the newborn baby's arrival, but this time a deep sense of foreboding was in the air. It was unsure if the child would even live, for you see, due to the dark times it was dangerous to marry any kind of creature, including a werewolf, and a Deatheater had poisoned Celeste with an incurable sickness for doing such. It probably just made it worse that she was Snape's sister. The medi-witches were just trying to get the baby out of her before it was too late and the poison reached it. Many painstaking hours later, an exhausted and mentally drained Remus entered the waiting room with a pink bundle in his arms and tears running down his face. The baby had been successfully saved, but it had been announced that Celeste had only a matter of days to live.

She died three days later with her daughter resting in her loving arms, but she did not die before she was able to name her. Emma Lupin, a teeny tiny version of her mother, was found wailing at the top of her lungs in her mother's cold, lifeless embrace while her father cried helplessly on the floor next to the bed she lied on. Emma's birth was not a happy time.

Alice, although heavily pregnant herself, offered to take care of Emma while Remus attempted to get over his depression. Anyone could see he was incapable of taking care of himself, let alone a child. Of course, she wasn't the only one wanting to take the baby in. Severus Snape too was trying to overcome the grief he felt for the loss of his sister, but he was handling it much better then Remus and was more than willing to take care of his sister's daughter. But Remus would have nothing of it. He blamed Snape partially for his wife's death. Snape was enraged when he heard this, but was unable to do anything about it. Alice and Frank ended up taking care of Emma.

They weren't able to long though, because within the length of a few weeks, both Alice and Lily were being rushed to the emergency room by their frazzled husbands. It had been a shock, to say the least, that they'd gone into labor on the same night, Lily's twins and Alice's boy being born only minutes apart, if even. Lily named her boys Harry and Harris, Harry being the oldest by two minutes, and Alice named her son Neville. Both Harry and Harris couldn't have looked any more different. Harry had a mop of black hair and startling green eyes that almost looked as strange as Emma's pale blue ones, while Harris had a little tuft of his mother's red hair and dull looking hazel eyes.

Neville looked just like his father, just smaller and chubbier. He had these warm brown eyes that looked like pools of melted chocolate and even now shined with friendliness and kindness. He had a decent amount of frizzy brown hair and a few freckles were already visible on his pale skin.

Lily gave the honor of being Harry's godfather to Sirius and made Remus Harris's. Both were quite pleased with the arrangement, even Remus, who was slowly but surely getting better.

A few days after Lily and Alice left the hospital with their newborns Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, approached them about a prophecy he believed was either about Harry, Harris, or Neville. He told them that Voldemort, the dark wizard that started the war that was taking place and was bent on killing all muggle-borns and half-bloods to make all of wizard kind 'pure', would most likely target their sons because he had heard part of the prophecy. The prophecy went like this:

_The one with the power vanquish the Dark Lord approaches_

_Born to those who had thrice defied him_

_Born as the seventh month dies_

_And the Dark Lord will mark his as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not _

_And with the help of his four friends who stand as strong as a pack_

_Will stop him of his wrong doings_

_One must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives_

_If the one with good intentions lives_

_Then the abandoned ones will bring the worlds that were so long separated together_

_And all will be at peace_

_But fail to do so and the one with so much evil will tear the world to pieces_

Both families were horrified by this and went into hiding under the Fidelius charm. Lily and James chose Sirius and their secret-keeper and Alice and Frank chose Remus for theirs.

On October 21, 1981 Lily and James went out to dinner while Lily's mother watched over Harry and Harris. That night Voldemort attacked the house and killed Mrs. Evans as she attempted to protect her grandchildren. Mrs. Evans' death was never really touched upon though, for the events that followed it drowned all that happened to the simple muggle out. It's quite sad really, how even her own daughter allowed the memory of her mother to fade with such ease.

After eliminating Lily's mother, Voldemort then went after to the two Potter children, both of who had been lying in their crib at the time. The demented wizard went after the first twin that caught his eye, which just happened to be Harry. Harry, who had been watching his grandmother's death silently as his twin slept on, suddenly let out a loud wail as Voldemort's red, malicious eyes settled on him. The Dark Lord grinned crazily, raising his wand with his long and gnarled fingers wrapped tightly around it, and casted the one spell that would temporarily end his existence. The killing curse hit little Harry and rebounded off of his tiny body, the sacrifice Belle Evans made making itself known. The rebound left a lightning shaped scar on his forehead and incinerated the dark being that had casted it. The force of such strong magic's colliding with one other resulted in a miniature explosion, sending the crib and other furniture to the ground and causing a furious fire to start. As the ceiling burned and weakened, a piece of flaming rubble happened to hit Harris, who was now awake and terrified, right on his color bone, leaving an 'x' shaped cut that would later scar.

Dumbledore and many of the other members of the Order of the phoenix arrived only minutes later, alerted by the many wards surrounding the Potter home. The headmaster went right to the nursery, carelessly stepping over Belle Evans' body and worriedly hurrying to the two children. When he saw the mess of black robes on the ground and the two children caught under the fallen crib, he knew one of the had been the cause of Voldemort's death. He removed the crib and inspected them both. The first thing that caught his eyes was the 'x' shaped scar on Harris's collarbone. After checking Harry and finding nothing on him but a few cuts, the lightning blot one being cleverly hidden by his mop of hair, he assumed that Harris was the savior he had been looking for. He assumed he knew what had happened. Oh what a different story this would be if he hadn't.

Lily and James came minutes later in a state of panic. Lily had burst into tears at the sight of her ruined house, but was soon comforted when Dumbledore came out with Harris in his arms. The headmaster had then held the baby up for all the people their to see and he proclaimed him to be the Boy-Who-Lived, defeater of Voldemort. Both Lily and James were filled with so much pride for their son, a hero, the completely forgot to even ask about Harry, or even look for him for that matter. Only when Sirius came and brought Harry's name up did anyone remember him. He was found, still in the nursery, snuggled up to his grandmother's body, crying profoundly. No one noticed the cut on his forehead.

The next day it was reported that Deatheaters had tortured and murdered Alice and Frank Longbottom for information on their master. Neville was then sent to live with his hard-hearted and broken grandmother.

/

Emma was a Lupin, so the fact that she was smart was a given. In some ways she was even smarter than her father, but that was because she had the drive to be so, and that was not a good thing.

Her father never looked her in the eyes unless it was absolutely necessary and when he did, his own eyes where either filled with sadness or hatred. She knew he despised her, she just didn't know why. What had she done to deserve such resentment? Was she that horrible a daughter? She didn't know, but that didn't stop the hurt from coming, the pure and gripping sadness that consumed her at night when she tried to sleep. Her own father hated her, how was she supposed to deal with that? In truth, she didn't. To get rid of the pain and loneliness she studied and cleaned and read, whatever it took to keep her mind from wandering.

She soon learned that she was going to have to take care of herself to the utter most. Her father never fed her or helped her clean her room; he never taught her how to read or bought her clothes. No, he simply didn't care enough to.

She could feed herself decently by the time she was three, pretty much surviving on messily made sandwiches and unwashed apples. She was too young then to understand she needed to cleanse the apples first, let alone how to work a stove or microwave. The only time she ever eat a real meal was when her father took her to the Potter's and their house elves made her dinner or lunch. Which, she could admit, happened a lot. They went to the Potter's at least three times a week. Sometimes he forgot to bring her though.

Remus loved to pamper and play with his godson Harris, and it caused a physical pain to watch him laugh and talk with Harris when he wouldn't even look at her.

In the magical world, most parents home schooled their children since real school technically didn't start until the age eleven for them. Since Remus wouldn't teach her anything, Emma taught herself. She could read and write better then most first graders by the time she was three, reading being the first thing she taught herself so she could learn everything else. By the age of six she could play the piano and guitar relatively well, and by the time she was eight, she could speak perfect Latin. Her father never noticed though, and eventually she stopped trying to show him. He only ever pushed her away. He didn't care, no one, except Harry, Neville, and Leo, cared about her.

If no one cared about her, why should she stay? She was unloved by her family and unloved by her family friends. No one loved her. She wasn't love worthy. Her anger filled and hurt misted mind couldn't see reason, and so she decided she would leave them all. She would run away.

/

Harry was invisible to his entire family. They might have seen him, but they didn't see much when they did. He wasn't worthy to be apart of their family because he did nothing to become worthy. Lily was a well known and successful lawyer, James was a famous Aura, and Harris was the Boy-Who-Lived. What was Harry? Well, he was just… Harry. Nothing super special, no one really talented, just Harry, Harry Potter. Although sometimes he wondered if he even deserved the name Potter. And other times he wished he wasn't a Potter.

His feelings towards his family were quite confusing, especially to an eight year old boy. Sometimes, mostly when he saw their pictures on magazines or heard people fawning over them, he felt he wasn't nearly as amazing as they were and that he shouldn't be a Potter. But other times, when he was being mentally and verbally abused by his so called 'family' and when his parents showed clear favoritism towards his bratty brother Harris, he wanted nothing more then to change his last name and be apart of another family. He hated his family, that was the easiest way to put. He hated them, and he envied them.

At Potter manor, Harry lived in a simple, small room with gray-blue painted walls and washed out white furniture. All that was in his dank and tiny home was a twin sized bed with shelves all behind it instead of a backboard, a ceiling high bookshelf, and a desk with a wobbly chair to sit on. Honestly, Harry loved his room, no matter how rundown or small it was, it was still his home. It was the one place his horrid family never dared step foot in, it was his sanctuary. He spent hours in that room, reading and drawing, he had a special love for drawing, and he usually ended up eating in there too.

Compared to Harris's room, his was the slums on New York City. Harris loved all thing lavish and gaudy. His room was painted with red and gold stripes running from the ground up. The stripes where thick, only four to five fitting on each wall. He had a four poster canopy bed made up of a silky red cloth and gold thread for the canopy, with a solid red bedspread and red sheets with gold lions on them. He had posters of all the Quiddich teams plastered onto his walls, all personally signed by each and every team member or course, and a huge, fluffy couch positioned in front of a large flat-screen TV. Obviously his color choices where influenced by both James and Dumbledore, who expected him to be a Gryffindor one day. Not a single book resided in the Boy-Who-Lived's room. You know why? Because he was an simpleton. Harris didn't have an intelligent bone in his body, and sometimes, Harry wondered if he even had a brain or at least brain cells.

The hardest time to actually be Harry, in Harry's opinion that is, was Christmas time. Thanks to his family, Christmas was a depressing time for him. He understood that there was more to Christmas than just getting presents or putting up Christmas lights, that's the only reason Christmas time was even slightly enjoyable for him, but Christmas time was also when he was left, forgotten at home while his family went out to Christmas parties, went ice skating together (for the publicity of course), and to cookie swaps. And on the actual Christmas day, he was forced to watch as Harris opened present after present, not only from his parents, but also from admirers, and all he got were six at most. It wasn't the fact that he didn't get much that infuriated him, no, he didn't care about the presents, it's just that his mother and father got so much for his brother, and he only ever got a present from Lily twice in his entire life time. Of course James never gave him anything. James seemed to genuinely hate him, Lily just seemed too caught up in all the fame to really realize she was neglecting her oldest son. That didn't make it any more forgivable though.

On his birthday (Harris's too, or course), a huge party was always thrown, but not for him, for Harris. No on ever came for him, no one ever brought presents for him, and no one ever wished him a happy birthday, except his three best friends of course. Every year, Leo, Neville, and Emma would throw a tiny little party in Harry's room with streamers, food, and punch stolen from Harris's birthday supplies. None of them ever felt guilty for doing it. All three of them bought Harry presents and sang him happy birthday, but still Harry couldn't help but hear all the voices coming from the hundreds of people that came for his brother. One year, when the music for Harris's party got particularly loud and Harry was looking even gloomier then usual, Neville had marched down to the ball room and had blown up the cake. That was Harry's best birthday by far.

Still Harry hated his life. He hated his family and his brother's godfather, Remus, for ignoring him, and sometimes he even hated Sirius. The only reason he had for staying at that horrible place was his three friends. He wanted to leave, with every fiber of his being, but he couldn't leave them. He couldn't just run away and leave them all behind.

/

Neville felt pressured, like he would never live up to the expectation placed on his chubby little shoulders. Sure he wasn't a hero like Harris, but a lot was still expected of him, just in a different way. He was constantly being judged and compared. And it wasn't just because he once had a chance at being the Boy-Who-lived, it was also because his Gran expected him to be just like his dear old dad.

Ever since his parents were murdered and he was sent to live with his Gran, she would constantly, 24/7, watch his every move. If something he did was even the slightest bit strange compared to what Frank Longbottom had done when he was a child, she would slap his little fingers and scold him severely.

He wasn't his father, and his Gran would not accept that. The way Neville saw it, his Gran was having some kind of major psychological problem with embracing her son's death and letting him go. He believed that she was trying to convince herself that since she still had Neville, her son's son, she still technically had her son. If that made any sense. He was able to make this hypothesis after his Gran had called him Frank several times without even trying to correct herself. Frank and been a loud and energetic child, while Neville was quiet and thoughtful, and somewhat forgetful. Augustus Longbottom saw him as a disappointment for this reason. No child wants to be a disappointment.

He only had three friends, Harry, Leo, and Emma. Gran had been trying to get him to be friends with Harris for some time now, but he knew how rude and snotty Harris could be so he ignored his Grandmother's inciting and pleading. Harris milked his fame for all that it was and then some. He was mean and nasty when he didn't get what he wanted.

He had a special relationship with Harry after they both discovered their love for reading. Harry was probably his best friend of the three. They had the same thirst for knowledge. Sometimes, when he could get away from all his chores, Harry would come over his house and they would spend hours reading in a comfortable silence. Leo always joked that it sounded boring, but it wasn't for the two of them. Every year for Christmas they would each choose their favorite book from that year, and give it as a gift to the other. It was a tradition that lightened both of their Christmases.

He had private tutors come to his house, hired by his Gran, to teach him, but he ended up just zoning out when they droned on and on. He only listened when Emma taught him. She was slightly older than him and he looked up to her as his role model. He probably would have looked up to Leo, but Leo didn't take life too seriously, even for a child, so Neville chose Emma. She was one of the smartest eight year olds her knew. She taught him the basics on Latin just after she learned it, and even attempted to teach him to play the piano. That didn't end very well. Even so, he loved learning from her.

His Gran thought his advanced knowledge was outlandish, because Frank hadn't been that smart at Neville's age. After his Gran had uttered those words, he refused to speak to her. Nothing he did was right in her eyes.

He was getting sick and tired of everything. He was sick of how his friends were treated, he was sick of how he was being constantly criticized, and he was sick of not being allowed to be himself around his family. He wasn't going to put up with it any more though. He was going to find a way out of it all.

/

Leo was clever, very clever, he knew. And to say that _he_ knew really meant just that. He was his own kind of clever, his own kind of smart. He saw the world like no one else could. Some would call him crazy, like they did Luna Lovegood, but he was good at making people see the reason in his wacky words while Luna was not. He had one of the most imaginative minds out there, and a creative one too. He wanted to be a writer when he grew, so other people could see what he saw in his thoughts every day.

But to say he was a happy child would be a lie. He was amazing at convincing people he was, but that was just because he inherited his father's acting skills.

When he was just four years old his mother and father got a divorce, and the sad thing about that was he was actually _relived_ when it happened. Not because he didn't like his parents, but because he couldn't take their constant yelling anymore. The fighting was close to getting physical when the divorce was finalized and he was just glad he wouldn't have to worry about getting caught in the cross fires.

And not only that, but he was just so _angry_ on the inside. Angry at his Uncles for how they treated his friends, angry at Ms. Longbottom for her opinionative ways towards Neville, and most of all angry at his father for not doing anything about it! Sure he made sure to give Harry a Christmas present and say happy birthday to him when that came around, of course he always ruffled Emma's hair when she walked by and gave her affectionate smiles, he even tried to boost Neville's self esteem with kind and helpful words, but that's as far as it went. He never played with any of them except Harris, he didn't try to have conversations with them, only allowing himself to say a few words, and he never stopped the Potter's when they said mean and cruel things to Harry. He didn't even try to help Emma out even though he knew Remus neglected her! How could he respect a man like that? Sirius was his father, not his dad. He didn't deserve the right to be called a dad.

He did everything he could for his friends, knowing he had it the best out of all of them, even if that wasn't much. He sent two presents to each of them when Christmas came around, he spent as much time at Potter manor to be with Harry as he could so Harry wouldn't get lonely, he constantly encouraged Neville, and he made Emma smile and laugh as much as possible.

One time, because he knew Emma wanted to know, he asked Sirius why Uncle Remus disliked his own daughter so much. Sirius just started down at him with sad eyes and said that he was too young to understand. But he was wrong. Sirius didn't know how smart Leo really was, how clever. He'd been taught by the best and knew it had to do with the way Emma looked. She looked just like her mother. Emma was just in denial about it.

He had always hated Harry's brother Harris with a passion. Harris was a conceded, self absorbed, little prat who was blinded by his own fame. The prick was always picking on Harry and Neville and pulling at Emma's hair. He tried to make fun of Emma once, but she socked him in the nose and he stayed away from her after that. Emma had a problem with anger and not being able to control. Just one of the perks of being a werewolf's child. Of course Harry couldn't fight back, if he did he'd get punished with no food or a lengthened chore list, and Neville would have gotten the same treatment from his Gran if he tried.

Harris had even extended a hand of friendship his way, saying he was a worthy person to be one of his close friends, since he was a Black and Sirius's child at that, but he had replied that he'd rather 'stick pins in my eyes'. That didn't blow over well with Lily and James. He wasn't allowed back at the manor for two weeks after that.

Now he knew his friends couldn't take the neglect and hatred from their families much longer. They would crack under the strain of it all. He had to help them out some how, he had to get them away.

/

_November 02, 1988_

Emma stalked soundlessly through the cozy cottage she lived at with her father. Her hands were jammed sullenly into her jean pockets and her shoulders were slumped in an angry manner as she glared at whichever wall stood in front of her. She was walking mindlessly, trying to burn time before her father was ready to got to Potter manor. She was always restless just before they went, impatient to get to her friends.

The cottage they lived in was like a prison to her. It wasn't too small, it was actually a nice size for only two people to be living in, but all the extra space left was filled with the tension and awkwardness that naturally came with living with a father that didn't care about you.

Whenever Remus was home he stayed holed up in his study or in his bedroom. He barely ever spoke to her. Sometimes, when he looked at her, she though she could see regret in his eyes, regret for the way he treated her. But then he'd just continue on with the neglecting and she knew it had just been her imagination. Wistful thinking, she thought.

She sighed in relief when she heard her father open his study's door and the footfalls that followed. She tapped her foot as she waited in the living room for him to come. When he finally did he kept his head down, avoiding her eyes at all costs. She grumbled angrily under her breath and rolled her eyes at his behavior.

Remus pulled down the sack that had the floo powder in it and held it out to her, silently. She glared at him as she grabbed a handful of the stuff and through it in the fire place as she stood in it. Green flames erupted from the ground , effectively eating her up and causing her to feel a flying sensation before spitting her out at Potter manor.

Her face contorted with surprise as she stumbled, tripping over her own feet. Her hands went out in front of her, a weak attempt to soften her fall, but instead she was pleasantly surprised to have landed on something soft and squishy, very squishy. That is until it started screaming and cursing at her.

"Harris!" Lily Potter exclaimed. It seems the Potter family, minus Harry, had been waiting for her father to arrive… and she just squashed the bratty Boy-Who-Lived. Lily scrambled over to her fallen son, pushing Emma off of him carelessly. "Are you ok?"

She helped her son to his feet, handling him as if he were made of glass.

"You should be more careful." James glared at her scathingly. Emma flinched away from him.

"James!" Lily gasped, taking in the semi-scared expression on Emma's face. "There is no need to be so harsh." She smiled comfortingly at her, but Emma just bowed her head down and ran from the room once her father arrived.

She liked Lily much better then James, as did Harry and the others, but she still neglected Harry, so Emma stayed away from her. It was hard to forgive someone for something they do every day.

She ran to Harry's room, not stopping until she was in front of the door, and then flinging it open and jumping inside. Harry and Neville looked up at her in surprise from their spots on the ground. She just groaned tiredly and flopped down on his bed, cringing as the springs creaked.

"You need to get a new mattress." She stated, scrunching her nose up in distaste. "This ones old."

"Well hello to you too, Emma." Harry said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "And you know I can't. James would never let me."

He never called his parents by their firsts names. It was too informal for their relationship.

"Right, sorry." She replied, sounding regretful. Harry just shrugged.

"I heard Harris screaming, what'd you do?" Neville asked her excitedly. Harry smacked him upside the head. "Ow." The brown haired boy whined.

"I just tripped is all. I accidently landed on him and he screamed like a pansy." Emma explained, ignoring it when both boys snickered at her choice of words. "So I take it Leo's not here yet, Sirius too?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "They should be here any minute though. You know them, it's like some kind of grown up play date for them. The bunch of inglorious, abusive neglecting parents." He grumbled under his breath darkly, the hate he felt towards the lot of them shining through.

"Hey! They don't abuse us… technically." Emma muttered the last part to herself, hugging one of Harry's pillows to her chest.

"Sure they don't." Neville sneered.

Before they had a chance to say anything else, Leo came barreling in, slamming the door shut tightly behind himself, a tight expression on his face. He stomped over to Harry's desk chair and roughly yanked it from under the desk before sitting on it with a loud '_thump'._

"What happened?" Neville asked.

"Jolie happened! She called dad this morning and said she wanted the good china set. Dad got all worked up and they fought for _hours_. I now know at least five new curse words. I have major headache." Leo told them, covering his face with his hands. Harry nodded in understanding and Neville placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"_Parents."_ Emma huffed, folding her arms exasperatedly.

"You can say that again." Harry agreed, his voice still worryingly dark.

"Don't you sometimes just wish that, I don't know, we could all just _run away_ and forget them all." Neville said, trying to make it sound like the thought had just accrued to him. By the look Harry was sending him he could tell he wasn't doing a very good job.

"Yes!" Leo exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "I was recently thinking that." He paused, seeming to realize what he had just said and plopping back down. "Sorry." He breathed.

"No, you're right." Emma said, shaking her head at his apology. "We _should_ all leave. Its not like we're wanted here. We're just baggage to them, nothing more, but maybe less. There is no reason for us to stay." Her eyes got watery towards the end of her little speech.

Harry got a very determined look on his face. He stood up and put an arm around his friend's shoulders, giving her some comfort.

"Emma is right." He stated, his voice holding a note of finality in it. "We need to leave. We need to make our own lives and our own futures. We may be pretty young, _extremely _young, but we'll be fine. We'll be prepared. If we stay here we'll be suffocated and beaten down. We'll make nothing of ourselves. And besides, running away just seems right."

All three of the others nodded somewhat dazedly. They had always looked up to Harry as their leader, he was clever and knowledgeable, just right for the part. If he had faith running away would work out, then so did they.

"Then it's decided." Neville said quietly, secretly happy on the inside. He was finally getting away!

"We'll leave the next time we meet, which should be in two days. We need to be prepared." Harry explained, and then he showed then several wandless spells to help them pack without looking suspicious. (They'd all discovered the ability when the accidental magic they preformed wasn't really so accidental) they practiced until their parents yelled up to them that it was time to go and they all scrambled to the living room, anxious to start packing and preparing. Anxious to have a real life and to finally be happy.

/

_November 04, 1988_

Leo walked nervously down the stairs of 24 Grimmauld Place. Today was they day he and his friends were leaving. He had butterflies in his stomach, and he couldn't tell if they were the good kind or the bad kind. His friends would be happy and that was all that mattered, though. Leaving didn't bother him that. At least he would be away from Jolie and her venomous words.

The day before he had packed practically everything in his room that would fit into his trunk, and then he'd shrunken it without problem and put it in his pocket. He had packed enough clothes to last three weeks, a toothbrush, a second pair of shoes; his favorite books and several spell books, and some personal items too. He and his friends didn't know how long it would take until they found a place to stay, so he had practiced a charm that would keep them all warm until he was amazing at it, and it would diffidently come in handy.

His dad was waiting for him by the fireplace with a smile on his face. He always smiled like that when they were going to the Potters. After Jolie had left James and Remus had always been there for his father, and it made their friendship that much stronger. Sirius never smiled like to him. Not anymore. In a way Leo was glad he was leaving, but he couldn't shake the feeling that by doing so he would hurt his dad. He didn't want to hurt his dad. Not like Jolie had, but he didn't have much of a choice. If Sirius would just step up and talk to James and Remus and Augustus about the treatment of their kids then everything would have been great.

'It's to late to think like that.' He thought with a shake of his head. He grabbed some floo powder from his dad, making sure not to look Sirius in the eyes, and flooed to the Potter's, taking the first step to his new life.

/

Neville sat waiting in Harry's room for Leo and Emma to come. He and Harry had been waiting impatiently all morning although they knew they wouldn't be arriving until around lunchtime. They were both packed and ready to go. They both had no second thoughts about leaving. Harry's parents wouldn't even care if he left, and Neville now had so much resentment towards his Gran that he didn't care if he hurt her. She should have thought about that before she had gotten all judgmental and cruel.

They all watched in absolute silence as Leo entered, a troubled expression on his face. Neville wanted to ask him what was on his mind, but he got so consumed in his thoughts that he never got around to it. No one said a word. It wasn't an awkward silence because they were all lost in their own thoughts, their own worries. They almost didn't even notice when Emma opened the door and stepped inside, but they all looked up when they heard a sniff.

Emma's eyes were blood shot and puffy and she had a defeated air about her. Harry jumped up and put a protective arm around her once again.

"What happened Emma?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"I snapped, ok? That's what happened. I snapped at my dad-no-my father. He doesn't deserved to be called a dad." She shouted hatefully. "He _pushed _me, practically sent me flying to ground, when I tried to get him to speak to me. I started yelling at him, I said some pretty bad things… anyway, he said… he said Celeste would be ashamed of me if she saw me today, that I was a horrible child and she would have despised me." She hiccupped as more tears fell from her eyes. "And he said it with such passion that I actually believed it! Is it not enough that he hates, but he has to make me believe my mother would too!" By now she was in hysterics, and all three of her friends were trying to calm her down.

"I'm sorry." Neville said comfortingly.

"He even cursed! He never curses! It's like all the anger he's been keeping pent up bubbled out, and he just let it. You should have seen his eyes! It scared me. My own father scared me." She continued, sounding devastated near the end. Harry tightened his arm around her, his hate getting stringer with each word she uttered.

"Is everyone ready?" She asked shakily, trying to change the subject.

"Yup, we're ready." Jake confirmed. "Now how are we going to give our parents the slip?"

"All we have to do is ask the house elves to let us out and we are home free. Come on they're in the kitchen." Harry said excitedly, a wicked smile overcoming his features.

/

"So what do we do now, where do we go?" Neville asked curiously, breaking the deafening silence. They were all walking down the walkway in a nice little town five miles away from Potter Manor. It had taken them a very long time to get that far, but the adrenaline they felt racing through their veins helped greatly.

"We got to London." Harry said simply.

"Ok, first of all, why London, and second, how do we get their?" Leo asked, a confused look on his face.

Harry shrugged like it was no big deal. He smirked at them all deviously.

"London just feels right. And to answer your second question, we'll be apparating." He said excitedly.

"What!" Emma exclaimed. "How?"

"That's my little secret." Harry taunted her playfully. Emma glared at him and he shivered slightly under her cold gaze. "Ok," he said, clearing his throat nervously. "Everybody grab on." He held out his arm and they all held onto him with tight grips. Then the sensation of being stuffed through a pea sized pipe overcame them and total blackness encompassed their vision. When they landed on cold concrete it was almost a relief. They all sat up stiffly and looked around to see where it was they had landed. It appeared as though they were in an alleyway. In a city. In London.

"You did it." Neville breathed. "You really did it."

Harry just smiled.

For two whole days they just wondered around the city, trying to look inconspicuous, even as eight year old children. They slept at night in secluded places, casting a warming charm on themselves, courtesy of Leo; to keep the autumn chill away. It was kind of fun, like an adventure, but the feeling of hopelessness was settling into the pits of their stomachs. They would be found soon if they didn't find a place to stay.

On the third day, as they were looking for a place to get some food (because they were smart enough to bring a lot of money with them), all four of them were grabbed roughly by a grubby hand and forced into an abandoned old warehouse.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A menacing voice said. "Some lonely little children. Where's your mommy? She leave brats in hopes of never seeing you again?" It taunted.

"What do you want?" Emma snarled, her protective wolf instincts were really kicking in and she looked scary for a eight year old. Harry gripped her arm, telling her to let him handle it.

"Looks like you got some bite." The person said sounding slightly surprised, and very amused.

A man in his late twenties stepped out of the shadows and for the first time they all got a good look at him. He had a scruffy five o'clock shadow, making him appear lazy and uncaring about appearances, and wild electric blue eyes that buzzed with a devilish spark. His hair midnight black was, reaching to his shoulders, and greasy. He had on a loose Football jersey and a pair of ripped jeans with tattered old sneakers. His hands were in his pockets as he looked down at them with a nasty smile. He looked like he could use a hearty meal and a hot shower.

Emma ignored Harry's restraining hand and lunged for the door. He grabbed her arm furiously, not even bothering to look at the other three, who had murderous looks on their faces.

She unconsciously sent an electric current through her entire body. The man cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Then he leaped back up and looked angrily at the kids. He took out a knife and made a desperate slash at them. Harry used wandless magic and sent him flying back wards into the wall. The man slumped to the ground, but made one last attempt to get them by lunging blindly in their direction. Neville used to levitating spell and held him up in the air while Leo magically bound him.

"Never ever threaten my pack, got that?" Emma spat in his face.

Now them man looked sacred, but he couldn't leave. He was frozen in place. All he could think about was how something like this was possible. He had just wanted to see if the kids had any money and if they did he would have taken it. He hadn't been expecting them to be able to do some kind of freaky magic.

"I'm going to call the police and give them a tip about a mugger hiding out in an abandoned building. Hopefully they'll find you before you starve." Leo said tauntingly. He was pleased when the man's heartbeat quickened. He would tell the police exactly where the pitiful was. He wasn't that cruel, but the muggle didn't have to know that.

"Come on guys lets go." Harry said to them.

They all headed towards the door, but they stepped in their tracks when they heard another voice behind them.

"Wow, that was some magic." It said.

They turned to see a nicer looking man in normal clean muggle wear. He didn't send of threatening waves like the man on the floor did. He seemed to want to help them.

"You know about magic?" Neville asked.

The man smiled warmly and nodded.

"I also know a lot about you." He stated. They all stiffened nervously and the man noticed. "I don't mean you any harm and I'm not going to force you to go home. I know what you're home life's are like, and I also know you need a place to stay. I want to offer you that place. I take in young neglected or abused wizards and witches and give them a home. I offer training in all magical departments and help my wards find good paying jobs once they are of age to ensure the have a good life when they leave me. I only want to help." He said with a kind and honest smile.

The idea of a nice home and training enticed them all. Harry knew the offer was Legit. He had always been good at reading other people's expression and seeing their true emotions in their eyes. He wanted to help them, that much he knew.

He looked around at his friends to see them all already nodding at him enthusiastically. He smiled at their obvious excitement.

"We would like to go with you." He said blankly once he had turned back to the man.

The man looked happy and relieved at the same time, a sigh escaping his lips. He took a step closer to them, surprising them all with a hug.

"Come on then and I'll have my wife make you some dinner. By the way my names Roland, Roland Jennings."

**A/N: Well there you go. The first revised chapter. I think it's a MAJOR improvement and I hope you agree. I'll tell you know that I have been over my Harry Potter phase for quite some time, and the only reason I'm bothering with this story is because so many people seem to want me to, so I would appreciate reviews. They keep this story alive. I don't mean to sound demanding, but you readers are honestly the only thing keeping this going.**

**I have lots of plans to make this story better, including less OC's and more cannon characters, so don't worry about that. The next chapter wont be up for a while. This is my Christmas present to you all! Merry Christmas!**


	2. The Bright of Dawn

**A/N: Hey peoples! How's it going? Sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I do have a life. I have this oral report coming up for English and I'm kinda freaking about it. I'm **_**not**_** good at public speaking. Heck, I'm not even good at one on one speaking. I always stumble over words or say the wrong this. I think I have some kind of speak impediment or whatever. Anyway, once that done and over with hopefully I will get this faster to you all.**

**Oh, and I now have a beta. Awesome readers, meet TheBookwormPyro, TheBookwormPyro, awesome readers. Now you all have someone else to blame for my grammatical mistakes! Nah, I'm kidding (Kind of).**

_**TheBookwormPyro here just wanted to say hi. Yeah… I take full responsibility for any grammatical mistakes you can find. I'm not perfect and there are a few things I don't believe are an issue even though they are technically incorrect. Hey, it's fanfiction for a reason. I'm not an editor for a publishing company. Anyway, just wanted to say hello and that I shall do my very best to edit this correctly and as quickly as possible so this will get to you guys faster.**_

**A lot of the kids used in this chapter are not OC's. They're simply very minor characters in the books or movies. A few are even ones you'll recognize. This is a very AU story.**

**Anyway, I've taken a different approach for this chapter. I hope it's an improvement. Also, a lot of people don't like the name Emma, so I'm debating on whether or not to change it. If you have any ideas or names you like, please feel free to tell me. Enjoy the chapter!**

**(And thanks to those who pointed out my stupid mistakes last chapter. I'm fixing them next)**

Harry was in no way a trusting person. With a life like his how could he be? The very people he was supposed to trust with every fiber of his being treated him like dirt. Not trusting people came naturally for him. Yet he trusted this Roland man with all four of their lives. Roland just seemed to radiate kindness and honesty. Going with him just felt right, like how going to London had felt right. Maybe this was why he felt the need to go to London.

It didn't really matter why he trusted the man, because it didn't change the fact that he _did_ trust him. He had allowed the man to transport him and his friends to goodness knows where.

The feeling of apparation was not a pleasant one, so as the claustrophobia overcame his senses he squeezed his eyes shut tight to keep the nausea away. As the world stopped spinning and the darkness receded, he tightened the grip he had on Emma's hand and slowly opened his eyes.

There before him stood the most magnificent and humongous house he had ever seen. Granted, he hadn't seen many houses in his eight years on the earth, but he still knew it was large for a house, considering it was bigger than his.

He heard Leo's sharp intake of breath and looked over to his friend to see a similar look of amazement adorning his face. Leo looked his way, his eyes alight with excitement. Neville's face was slack with shock and Emma just started with wide eyes.

Roland chuckled happily behind them and they all whirled around to look at him.

"Yes, it is a big house, isn't it? But I have quite a few kids living here with me so it's necessary. It's a safe haven for them all and you too, I hope." He smiled sadly, gesturing to his house with his hands. "Anyway, welcome to Jennings Manor: Roland's home for the misused and abused."

At those words Harry saw Emma glare at Roland venomously. Roland winced and held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry, bad use of words. Anyway, why don't you all come inside and I can introduce you to my wife and the other occupants of the house. I'm sure you'll love it here." He hurriedly ushered them all up the steps to the house, anxious to get away from Emma's searing glare.

Emma had always hated it when anyone used to word abused while talking about any of one them. He figured that she saw that as one of the few things their parents actually _didn't_ do to them, so she held onto that with a vise like grip.

They all allowed Roland to lead them inside the huge mansion. He opened the front door, which was about two times the size of a normal door and decorated with a white floral pattern on the pale, rustic wood. Inside was the entrance hall, or the atrium. It was spacey and classy looking, reaching to about two stories high with tasteful patterns on the wall and expertly placed pictures and paintings scattered all over the place. There were a few luxurious couches and armchairs pressed against the walls, all warm colors, and a few tables as well.

As they slowly filed in, still amazed by what they saw, two young girls entered the room, both having a quite argument with the other. They were both about eleven years old and polar opposites. One of the girls was obviously Indian, with beautiful long glossy back hair, tan skin, and onyx eyes. The other had dirty blonde hair cut in a bob with a single chunky hot pink highlight in it, pale skin, and aqua blue eyes.

The blonde girl had her hands on her hips, clearly not handling the argument very well, while the black haired patiently listened to the others jabbering before having her say. When they both saw Roland their faces lit up and they ran to him happily, forgetting their previous fight.

"Roland!" They chorused with excitement lacing their voices. The blonde girl grabbed his waist in a tight hug and Roland leaned down to hug her back.

"Hello girls." He replied warmly, a huge smile spreading across his face.

When the blonde girl let him go the black haired girl grabbed his hand and grinned up at him.

"We've missed you Roland," she said with a heavy Indian accent. "Clara's been so sad since you left."

"Well I'm back now, so everyone can be happy again." Roland smirked at the two of them.

The blonde girl rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, we don't like you that much." She teased. She caught site of Neville and raised an eyebrow up at Roland. "Newbies?" She asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. I apologize for not introducing them sooner." Roland said, sending a reassuring smile their way. "Girls, this is Harry Potter, Emma Lupin, Leo Black, and Neville Longbottom."

All four of them just watched the two girls suspiciously, not willing to be the first to talk to the others, so the black haired girl graciously stepped in.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said sweetly. "I'm Jocelyn Kubrick, or Jocelyn Jennings as I go by now. You can call me Joce or JJ if you want to, though. We're all very close here."

Neither he, nor Neville or Leo responded to her, but Emma nodded quietly.

"And I'm Loala Renalds, pleased to meet you." Loala greeted obnoxiously, nodding towards them then walking off. Jocelyn winced and glanced at them once more.

"Sorry about that. Loala never gets along well with the newbies. She'll warm up to you eventually." With those last words Jocelyn was racing after Loala, leaving all four of them behind with Roland.

Roland looked down at them expectantly, waiting for some kind of response. When none of them spoke he seemed crestfallen, so Leo cleared his throat and opened his mouth nervously. "Well they were… interesting." He said uncertainly.

Roland beamed gratefully at him and they all relaxed a little.

"Yes, everyone here is, including you. Loala's just one of the more reserved children in my care. JJ's great though, you'll all love her. She gets along with everyone." Roland started walking again towards a door off to the side. They all scrambled after him. "Now to present you to my wife, she should be in the kitchen preparing dinner."

They went down a long hallway with doors littering the walls all along it. Each door was a different color and texture, giving the house a whimsical, artistic look. Abruptly, Roland took a sharp left, entering through a gray-blue door with a paisley design on it. Once inside it was apparent that the room they were in was a kitchen. Beautiful white cabinets lined the walls all along the room on both the ground and the ceiling, some with glass doors so you could see the cutlery inside. The counter tops were a lovely brass marble color and the floor was a shiny cherry wood. The kitchen appliances were made of stainless steel and gleamed like they'd just been polished.

Standing in front of the stove, stirring something that was sending a heavenly aroma wafting around the room, stood a petite woman. She turned around upon hearing their entrance.

She had on a dark blue blouse with a stained apron over top it, along with black skinny jeans and gray All-Stars, a very laid back look. She had vivid orange hair, even more so than Lily's, and she had it pulled back into a loose ponytail. Her autumn colored brown eyes sparkled as they settled on Roland.

She smiled when she caught site of them and set the wooden spoon down that she'd been using to stir. She rubbed her messy hands on her apron and the she was flying into Roland's arms, giving a delighted squeal as she kissed him lovingly.

"I'm so happy you're home." She said empathetically, with a huge smile lighting up her face. She turned to look down at them again, her smile never leaving her face. "And who are these little darlings?"

"This is Harry, Emma, Leo, and Neville. They'll hopefully be staying with us for quite a while." He introduced, looking pointedly at them.

"Well I should hope so," Roland's wife said kneeling down to their level. "Hello there, I'm Clara Jennings. It's an honor to meet you all." She then proceeded to give them all a quite hug, shocking each and every one of them, especially Harry and Emma, both of which were not used to adults hugging them.

Harry stiffened when she hugged him, but didn't push her away. He kind of liked how it felt. He'd never felt loved, but in her embrace he did, and he barely knew her. He just knew this is what having parents was supposed to feel like.

"I hope you're all hungry," Clara said standing up. "I've made an extra special dinner tonight, my mother's amazing homemade chili. I've made so much, I could feed an army."

Roland snorted and put his arms around her waist from behind.

"In this house, there _is_ an army." He said teasingly to them all.

"How many kids _are_ here?" Neville asked curiously.

Thirty six including you four, hopefully about to be thirty seven." Roland replied, looking pointedly at his wife, a silent message in his eyes. Clara looked heartbroken, and for some reason, Harry felt the need to comfort her. She had such a cheerful face, sorrow just seemed out of place.

"Another one?" she whispered worriedly. Roland nodded and turned his attention back to them.

"Why don't you all go wash up for dinner. This way you'll have a few minutes before all the other kids come stampeding down here." He said with a smile, giving them directions to the nearest bathroom.

They filed out and as soon as they were out of hearing distance they all turned to Harry, waiting for his say.

"Are we going to stay?" Leo asked him hopefully. He loved the house so far, and Clara was exactly the way he used to imagine Jolie to be like if she'd really loved him.

"I like it here." Emma said quietly almost afraid to speak up. She'd always been quiet though.

"I do too. This whole place just seems… homey." Neville agreed whole-heartedly.

"Well then, I guess we're staying." He decided with a content smile when he saw the happy expressions on all of his friends' faces. He would do anything to have them feel that way all the time, but with their luck, it wouldn't last long. He just hoped it lasted long enough.

They all washed up quickly and scurried back to the kitchen. When they returned only Clara was still standing on the cherry wood floor.

"Roland had to go help another child. He should be back later tonight. Usually he would show you around the house now, but that will have to wait. For now, we can enjoy my delicious chili." She told them with a grin. "I'll help you get you food and then show you to the dining room. Not all of the children will be eating with us, because thirty six kids in one room would be deafening. Most of the teens prefer to eat in their room with their friends anyway. I'll introduce you anyone eating with us tonight."

Harry nodded in understanding and accepted one of the bowels she had in her hands. She gave them each one and then scooped a single ladle full of chili into each before herding them into the dining room only a door away.

The dining room was a burnt orange color, the wallpaper designed with copper fleur-de-lis. The dining table was long and had at least twenty chairs pushed up to it. Each one elegantly carved and cushioned.

They each took a seat except Clara, who apologized and said she needed to get their rooms ready. She left in a hurry, leaving them all confused and unsure of what to do. Emma eventually shrugged and hungrily dug into the chili, savoring the flavor in her mouth with reverence. She'd never tasted anything so good. The other three soon followed.

Clara came back about five minutes later with a bowel of her own. She started asking them about their interests, keeping up pleasant conversation as other kids started trickling in. twenty minutes later the table was full and the room buzzing with a variety of voices.

Clara introduced them all, but only a few names stood out among the rest. Loala and JJ were among the few sitting at the table, and the only ones they had already met. Katie Bell was about their age, maybe a little older, and had long brown hair with straight bangs and almond shaped brown eyes. Sebastian Daley, or Sebby as he was apparently called, was also around their age. He came from a prominent pure blood family and had all the looks of an aristocrat. Colby Cocks was ten, and had curly brown hair with several dark purple highlights in it. She got along very well with Emma.

Harry took a special liking to another kid named Cormac McLaggen, a tall and conceded fellow who had a tendency to make a fool of himself without realizing it. The way Harry saw it though, was that Cormac's over self-confidence came from a need to appear as though he didn't need anyone to be there for him. Every single child in the Jennings household came from a shady background. He could only guess what kind of horrors McLaggen had gone through only a few years before.

One kid who stayed quiet throughout the entire dinner caught his attention as well, and he could tell Neville was noticing her metal absence as well. She quietly ate her chili while staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed over. Her name was Bella-Sara Krizben, although she just went by Bella. She had a defeated air about her, with her slumped shoulders and sad smile. She was a beautiful young girl and could have almost been Lily's daughter. She had shiny red hair that fell well under her shoulders and unforgettable green eyes. He would have to remember to talk to her later.

The few others Emma spoke to or Leo verbally battled with were Fay Dubar, Robin Botesdale, Tabitha Bainbridge, and Natalie Faireborne. Most were children of well know wizarding families, and he was discussed to discover just how abusive one could be without being noticed. All of these kids would have had very bright futures, attending Hogwarts, making friends, and integrating with the rest of the wizard world once they were of age. All that was taken from them the moment their families decided they weren't good enough.

Granted they would still be integrated into the wizarding society once they were of age. Apparently Roland gave them the option of either staying with him and helping with his classes or leaving the live on their own one they reached the age of seventeen.

As he pondered all these things in his mind he noticed Roland slip back into the room and whisper something to Clara before exiting once again. Clara frowned momentarily and tapped her finger on the table nervously. She met his eyes and managed a reassuring smile.

"Roland wished to speak with you and your friends. You can finish up first though." She explained briefly. He nodded and relayed the message to his surrogate siblings.

They ate quickly, curious to find out what Roland had to tell them, and raced out of the room with a few quite 'goodbyes'. It appeared they were integrating very well into Roland's self-proclaimed 'haven', although the name did fit perfectly.

They entered into the hallway, where Roland stood in front of a maroon door about twenty feet down the hall. He beckoned them towards him.

"You know how I left before?" He asked them as they got closer. Neville nodded. "Well the reason for that was I needed to go and help another child. You see, I believe he's been subjected to abuse and I don't think he should be left on his own. He's just as new as you are and I was wondering if you'd mind staying with him as you all get used to the manor." He smiled hopefully at them.

Harry considered this quietly. He wasn't sure if they'd all get along with this other kid, but at the same time he too didn't want whoever it was to feel all alone. He had his friends with him. This kid had no one.

"Of course" He replied after he got a nod from Emma, Leo, and Neville, who seemed eager to meet this new person.

Roland smiled proudly down at him. It made a strange sense of accomplishment bubble up inside. He'd never felt that before. It was weird.

Roland opened the door and slowly, they all entered. Sitting in one of the fluffy armchairs strategically placed around the room was a boy with white blonde hair and sharp facial features. He sat stiffly, with his back perfectly straight, a slight look of fear and awe in his eyes. Almost like he was afraid this place was too good to be true. Roland smiled encouragingly at him.

"This is Draco Malfoy," he introduced. "And he will be sharing a room with Harry, Neville, and Leo. Sorry Emma, but you'll be rooming with some other girls. I hope you don't mind."

Emma smiled shyly and shook her head to indicate she did indeed not mind.

"We'll be sharing with Malfoy?" Leo questioned a thoughtful look on his face. "I think that will work." He smiled brightly at the other boy. The smile Draco supplied was barely visible.

Roland looked proud of them all, his chest puffed out comically, a fatherly grin over taking his face.

"Come and I'll show you all where you'll be staying. I'll show Emma her room first so she can get to know her roomies and then I'll bring you boys to your room." Roland said as he strode out of the room. As he, Leo, and Neville scrambled after him, Emma silently tugged at Draco's sleeve until he stood and then she firmly took hold of the front of his shirt and dragged him behind her, ensuring he didn't stray behind. She smiled a little as he flimsily allowed her to lead him. Draco just looked too shocked to protest.

Roland brought them up two flights of stairs, passed a rainbow of doors, and down a hallway where the doors had strange names engraved in them. A few said things like: Pyro, Cipher, Firefly, Kimmery, and Talon.

Harry quietly asked what they meant.

"They're code names. After a while you'll each get one too. It's kind of like a nickname, but they are always used when on a mission," was Roland's only reply. He didn't elaborate any more on the subject.

After walking down the hallway a little longer, Roland stopped in front of a warm colored orange door that only had three names engraved in it instead of the usual four. The names read: Creed, Glimmer, and Syria.

"This is where you'll be staying Emma." Roland said cheerfully. Emma actually growled at his annoyingly happy tone. "Why don't I formally introduce you to the girls while you boys wait here for me? I'll bring you to your room next."

He tried to lead Emma into the room, but she stood her ground, looking uncertainly at Harry, her hand clenching tighter on Draco's shirt.

Harry knew what she was trying to silently tell them. She wasn't sure if she should go with him. She wasn't sure if splitting up was a good idea. Plus she was probably nervous about sharing a room with strangers. He nodded at her, letting the unusual (for him) soft smile spread over his face, letting her know it was ok to go. She pursed her lips, but in the end she let Draco and she stalked into the other room. Roland sighed in relief.

/

Emma stepped timidly into the room, unsure of what she'd find. She didn't know what to expect, having not been close to any girls her own age. Roland put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and for once in her life she didn't feel the compulsion to shrug it angrily off.

She mentally smirked maliciously. She and Harry were messed up when it came to any kind of physical contact. The entire night she'd watched as Harry tried not to flinch at casual touches and tried to appear unaffected. She had the same problem as he did.

Leo had a relatively normal life, so he didn't have to worry about that kind of thing, and Neville's issues all centered around the verbal aspect of abuse-no! Not abused. She really hated the word abused. They were not abused children. They were _not._

Steeling herself, she looked up at the room's small population. She'd already met all three of the girls, but that didn't mean she'd let her guard down. She stood stiffly in front of them as they started silently at her.

She'd met LouLou at dinner, but hadn't spoken much to her. She was Loala's sister, and had the same style as she did. Her hair was longer then Loala's, reaching to her shoulder blades. She had a green highlight in her dirty blonde hair and her half of the room reflected her personality. She'd painted her wall (because they each had the option to paint the wall their bed was pushed up against, as explained by Clara) a hot pink color, and on the wall was a myriad of posters ranger from actors, to movies, to models, all overlapping each other.

LouLou stood possessively in front of her bed with her arms crossed as she observed her.

Colby was someone she'd also met at dinner. But she had actually had a conversation with her. Colby was the kind of person she saw herself one day calling her best friend. Colby was only two years older than her and she liked the same things. She was just a bit wilder. Her wall was painted a dark purple, and filled with neatly tapped rock band posters and graffiti style versions of her name. She smiled at her warmly; obviously pleased I would be moving in.

Jocelyn was the first person she had been introduced to at Jennings manor. She sat primly on her perfectly made bed as she brushed her hair while listening to music, unaware of her and Roland's entrance. Her wall was a light blue color with rich chocolate swirls painted on it. Jocelyn had beautifully framed photos adorning her wall, making hers look the most sophisticated.

"Hello girls." Roland said loudly, gaining JJ's attention. She pulled out her earphones and smiled happily at her. "This is Emma Lupin, and she'll be rooming with you guys for the duration of her stay here."

"Thank you Jesus!" Colby cheered as she pumped her first into the air. "You're not another wuss. I don't think I could stand another pansy like JJ and LouLou. No offence JJ." She added as an afterthought.

"_Hey!" _LouLou whined defensively. "I am not a wuss. You're just too tough, that's all. I'm perfectly normal."

"I just call it as I see it." Colby replied with a shrug.

"Why you little-" LouLou started threateningly before she was cut off.

"Whoa guys, no fighting in front of our new best friend. You might scare her away." JJ said good naturally. She jumped off her bed and took her arm in a sign of friendship.

She felt herself smile unwillingly. She couldn't help it. She was already feeling welcome, in an odd, brisk kind of way. They weren't being freakishly gracious, acting like they were happy she was there, so she saw that as a good thing. She hated actors. They pissed her off. A lot of things pissed her off actually.

"It's good to see you're doing so well, most people freak out after their first few hours in this nut house." JJ grinned as she snickered, happy to get a reaction out of her.

"Well _I _didn't freak out." LouLou stated proudly.

"That's because you _belong_ in the nut house." Colby muttered with an eye roll.

LouLou gave an outraged war cry and flung herself at Colby, knocking the girl off her feet and onto the ground.

"I'll just be leaving now." Roland yelped as he sprinted away from them and out the door, to the safer ground where the boys were.

"Wimp" Colby growled at him as she pinned LouLou's shoulders.

"You two are hopeless." JJ sighed, falling back on her bed in resignation. "_You two_ are going to put _me_ in the nut house."

/

As Roland slipped out of the girls room, a scuffle could be heard from inside and he seemed relieved to be leaving.

"Is she ok in there?" Draco asked in concern, speaking for the first time.

"They're just fine." Roland scoffed unconvincingly, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and straightened his clothes. "Come along boys, it's time to see your room."

Leo smirked at the man, happy to see him squirm. It made the man seen more human. He lightly punched Neville's shoulder, causing the other boy to laugh quietly. Roland narrowed his eyes at them, but smiled anyway.

They followed his a little ways down the hall, only about five doors down from Emma, of which he was grateful. Once again the door had a completely different, wacky design than the last. It was white with an abstract looking lighthouse painted skillfully on it. He appreciated the design.

"This is where you'll be staying. I'll leave you to it then." Roland ducked his head and turned on his heels, leaving them alone.

They all looked blankly at one another, unsure of their next move. Leo, the ever present tension breaker, snorted at their antics and kicked open the door before dragging Neville inside with him by his arm.

The room was pretty blank, still in need of personal touches, but all the furniture was there. There were four beds and four book shelves with four desks, and four desk chairs. Four of everything, perfect for them.

"So Draco," Leo asked casually. "Since we'll be sharing a room, you should tell us a little about yourself."

"You don't have to!" Neville added quickly, hoping to keep Leo from scaring the kid away. "You know if you don't want to."

Draco looked at each of their hopeful faces uncertainly. He seemed afraid. Harry couldn't blame him. He'd had his friends always there for him when he needed them. Draco probably had no one. He'd never been able to open up. Now it was up to him and his friends to gently pry him open so he could begin to heal.

"Um, well, uh," Draco stuttered, desperately reaching for something to say.

"It's ok, it's ok." He said, putting a solid hand and Draco's arm. "You don't have to say anything at all. Just go slowly. We have a while anyway."

Draco sighed happy and smiled up at him. He couldn't help but smile back. He was proud of himself for the first time in a long time. He'd been able to make someone else happy. At home, he couldn't make anyone happy. This place would be good for them. They'd been happy here.

**A/N: This chapter is a lot different than the other version. I hope it's an improvement. The next chapter will still take place in the same time period. I'll be focusing much more on their first few days at Jennings manor and the friendships they form. And as a warning, although this supposedly takes place in the 80s, modern things will be mentioned. It's simply too hard to try and keep with the time. I kindly ask you ignore it. Until next time!**


	3. Please Read

To the extremely irritating and annoyingly ignorant "guest" that has reviewed several times, _no_ this story is not stolen - thank you very much. If you'd taken an iota of a second to investigate your claim, you would have found the original on my account. **AND** if you had bothered to read the A/N at the beginning of the story, the explanation of 'Leo' and 'Emma' was there. Now please leave me the hell alone. Perhaps you - ironically - were just trying to stand up for _me_ but all you have done is piss me off.

now for anyone who visits other sites, i do have other accounts. So please don't assume the work is stolen until you've privately contacted the author. Thank you.

As for this story, I am as of yet unsure if i will bother to finish. I'm just not into it anymore and haven't been as absorbed with Harry Potter as I was when I began this. Furthermore, if anyone is interested in adopting it, _contact me. _Perhaps I'll find the inspiration to pick it back up again, and feel free to tell me your ideas for the plot if you want to try and spark a flame of inspiration.

Thank you for your time :)


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